5 Keys to Loving Your Private Chef Experience
One of the joys of life is getting a good value for your money. Whether you hire a private chef for all your special events, have a full-time chef in your primary household or this is your first time with a private chef experience we want you to love every minute of it. Here’s 5 keys to help you get the most from your private chef services and transform your vacation, your special celebrations and and your meals into a personal, distinctive and effortless experience.
Choose Restaurant… or Caterer… or You Cook… or Private Chef
The great news is, you’ve got a lot of options. Private chefs can take the workload off of you when you want to celebrate at home and be a guest at your own party. Also, private chefs can do what restaurants can’t and caterers won’t. For example, finding a table for 24 in a restaurant at the time and day of your choice can be difficult, if impossible. And a caterer who’s busy doing three 200-person weddings on the Saturday you want a casual patio party for 18 might not even have time to return your phone call. When you want a distinctive, personal experience you can’t get at a restaurant and that a caterer can’t provide, a private chef is your answer!
(At HeyChef! we specialize in giving you what restaurants can’t and caterers won’t. For your in-home events we take everything off of your to-do list and put it on ours.)
Know What You Want
Once you’re set on using a private chef, make a plan for what you really want. What kind of food makes you happiest? Will it be served buffet, family or plated style? When will service begin? Are there dietary needs or restrictions to adhere to? Will you have a better experience at your table if the chef comes with a server to help with the set-up, serving, pouring and clean-up? Do you need any special purchases or party rentals to make your event shine?
Envision how a private chef will help give you back your free time.
(A server accompanies a chef for all HeyChef! events with eight or more guests so you can experience the level of attention you’re accustomed to at the table in a restaurant while your chef focuses in the kitchen!)
Find the Right Private Chef
Once you’re set on an in-home experience created by a private chef, make your life a whole lot easier by going for the best. Remember, you’re inviting someone into the privacy of your home, and asking them to feed you and your loved ones! So make sure they’re someone you’d like to have in your personal space, that they have the right experience and can do a professional job.
Reserve your date with a reputable, recommended private chef service. A good conversation or written estimate from a private chef should provide you with more than a menu; clarify in detail the nature of the chef’s work and their time in your home—including access to your home, arrival times, payment and tipping info, and any special requests you have for infants, children or dietary restrictions, etc. Professionalism and details covered during the reservation process is a key indicator for professionalism in your home’s kitchen.
(At HeyChef! we work hard to hide the effort that makes an effortless experience for you and your guests. We pride ourselves in gathering all the information we need in one phone call to make your to-do list ours and help you be a guest at your own party.)
Be Realistic About Price
It’s human nature to want the very best, and private chefs are a luxury service.
Consider what you’ll save by using the services of a private chef. You don’t need to write menus or shopping lists or schlep to the grocery store. You don’t need to pile everyone in multiple cars and wait to be seated at a restaurant. You don’t have to worry about a designated driver. Your kids can finish eating and entertain themselves with a movie (or go to bed) while you linger over dessert and rich, unhurried conversation. And, you won’t have to lift a finger when it comes to clean-up. You can actually be a guest at your own party!
When chefs and servers bring their skills to your home, on your timeline, and serve a custom menu for you and your guests, the experience is unlike anything a restaurant provides. The cost to bring in private chef services is sizably higher than dining out at a restaurant, and it’s clear to see why once you’ve had the experience. When chefs and servers give up their holiday to help you celebrate yours in the luxury and privacy of your home, you get the gift of time and the cost is easily justified.
(If this is your first time being served in your own home, be prepared to be amazed! Our clients routinely say “HeyChef! takes care of everything so I can enjoy my guests. It’s worth every penny!”)
Keep Your Private Chef More than Once
Like a good wine, private chef services in your home get better with time. The chef and staff learn your flavor profiles, what you like to serve your guests, details like where the dishwashing detergent is kept, and how to move efficiently in your kitchen, dining and serving areas. To have the most rewarding relationship with your private chef, hire them more than once. As you get to know them, they’ll get to know you and your kitchen in a way that makes serving you easier, more efficient and, yes, even more delicious!
(At HeyChef! We have the pleasure of serving lifetime clients and watching their kids grow from babies to college kids and beyond. Each season they return to vacation in Truckee-Tahoe and we know exactly how to serve and delight them with ease because we know their kitchens and we know what they love.)